Buffalo Bills News - November 19, 2003

A Quick Look at the Buffalo Bills [3:48 PM]Colts.com reports:
'The Bills have allowed 20 or fewer points in six of eight games, but the offense has scored more than 13 points just twice in the last eight games.'

ESPN Chat Wrap up [1:54 PM]ESPN reports:
Harvey (Albany, N.Y): Mort, Has the NFL policy regarding interviews of minority candidates for vacant head coaching positions put an end to mid-season firings of head coaches?

Chris Mortensen: (12:43 PM ET) No! The NFL has never had a strong history of firing coaches at midseason because it generally doesn't work. It usually means a coordinator assume the head coach role, and then that specific unit under the coordinator is thrown into chaos. The minority policy has no impact because it does not apply to a mid-season change.

Buffalo's Henry, Moulds questionable for Sunday [1:06 PM]AP reports:
'``He's dying to play,'' said Henry's agent, Greg Johnson. ``And that's the big dilemma. We're afraid of having him go back out there and get hurt, but he's insisting on playing.'''

Sizing up the playoff race [9:15 AM]CNN/SI reports:
Buffalo (4-6): Losers of six of their past eight, the Bills have gone belly up in particularly odorous style. The defense continues to play hard, but on offense it's three games in a row now without a touchdown. All that's really left is to see how Buffalo handles its looming decisions on the head coaching and quarterback fronts.

Playoff projection: Maybe 2004, Bills fans.

Bills Keep Going Backward [5:20 AM]Hartford Courant reports:
'Offensive coordinator Kevin Gillbride may be part of the problem. The Bills have an excellent running back in Travis Henry (193 carries for 780 yards, 4.0 average), who broke a bone in his leg Sunday. But Gillbride loves to throw and throw deep, and he is trying to use Reed in the role vacated by Price, a role for which Reed seems ill-suited.'

November 18, 2003

Tops Game Ball Winner: Travis Henry [9:32 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'Henry rushed for a game-high 149 yards despite cracking a bone in his lower right leg during the second quarter.'

Tasker Flattered By Semi-Finalist Selection [9:22 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
"I think it’s great," Tasker said. "I didn’t expect it. It’s certainly flattering, no question about it, and it never ceases to amaze me that people remember when I played the further it gets into the history books. I’m flattered even more that people still remember that I actually played and sometimes played pretty well."

Former Bills Endorse Wilson For Hall of Fame [3:19 PM]BuffaloBills.com reports:
'"Unquestionably, he belongs in and I’ve talked to many of the board of selectors who wholeheartedly agree with me. Here’s a man that’s been there since the inception of the AFL. What a sense of loyalty to the game," said Levy, a Hall of Fame member. "He’s been on almost every meaningful committee that there’s been. He’s been such an asset to the league. I was blessed because I couldn’t have had a better man to work for during my 12 years in Buffalo."'

Marv Levy: Texans turn back the Bills [11:19 AM]NFL.com reports:
The Bills certainly aren't clicking when they get in the red zone and you have to do that in the NFL if you want to win. They even had an interception that brought them down into the red zone, but they came away with just three points when they could have had the go-ahead touchdown. Offensively, they have gone three consecutive games without an offensive touchdown.

Henry feels better, but status unclear [8:53 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'"Am I game ready? Well, I practice every day," McGahee said. "I should be doing a lot more than what I usually do but other than that, it's really not my decision. I think I could play, but you have to be smart about it. If I go out there and I get hurt . . . You just gotta take it easy."'

Bills can start to plan future right now [8:52 AM]Buffalo News reports:
'It'll be three-and-out for Williams, and time for the franchise to tread carefully. The Bills are only half broken. Bringing in a head coach from outside the organization likely would mean a overhaul of the staff, and overhauls are usually short-term counterproductive.'

Ralph Wilson: Better players needed [5:20 AM]Rochester D & C reports:
'“It’s terrible. We should do better, but hey, we have to upgrade our personnel,” Wilson said. “We need a lot of things. Maybe we need a new owner, that could help, too. What’s the old saying, ‘It starts from the top?’”'

Can it get any lower than this? [5:19 AM]Rochester D & C reports:
'Leo: I might be sniffing glue, but I can see the Bills winning three games.
Sal: Jeez, Mr. Optimistic, share the glue.'

Buffalo Bills replay [5:18 AM]Rochester D & C reports:
'So are we supposed to believe that Joe Burns and Bobby Shaw will go point for point with Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and — if he’s healthy — Harrison and the rest of the Colts’ offensive machine? Right. And Jerry Springer is going to win an Emmy.'

Eulogies begin for hell's Bills [5:17 AM]Toronto Sun reports:
'All five home games at the Ralph this season have been sellouts. This Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts will also fill the house, if not close. After that, there are no guarantees. Even worse, what does the organization have to sell next year?'

Colts adjust their passing game on the fly [5:16 AM]Indianapolis Star reports:
'Harrison could return to the lineup against the Bills. He ran Monday morning -- "That was encouraging," said Dungy -- and might return to practice on Friday. "If he does," added Dungy, "he's got a chance to play."'

Dungy's assessment of defense brightens [5:15 AM]Indianapolis Star reports:
'A videotape review of the Colts' 38-31 victory over the New York Jets was responsible for Dungy's improved outlook. He watched the Colts hold the visitors to 10 points during the first half and shut them out during the fourth quarter. Of course the interim got pretty ugly.'

Marcus Jones moves past NFL life [5:14 AM]Jacksonville Daily News reports:
'Jones, a product of Southwest High School who went on to play for North Carolina and later spent six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, recently retired from the ranks of the professional level after being waived by the Buffalo Bills in September. Jones was placed on injured reserve while rehabilitating a knee injury after being signed by the Bills.'

Inside slant [5:13 AM]CBS Sportsline reports:
'Unfortunately for the Bills, the race is already over, the battle already lost. With a 4-6 record and a schedule that includes teams who are a combined 37-23, it would take a minor miracle for the Bills to make the playoffs. In fact, the team leaders have just about given up hope on that goal.'

Notes, quotes, anecdotes [5:11 AM]CBS Sportsline reports:
'CB Nate Clements had a miserable game against Houston. He was one of three Bills who missed a tackle on Andre Johnson's 46-yard catch-and-run TD, he missed an open-field tackle on a quick screen to Johnson that resulted in a 42-yard gain that set up a Houston field goal, and he had a personal foul penalty that kept alive another Houston field goal drive. Add it up and Clements was involved in every point Houston scored.'

Donahoe goofed [5:10 AM]WGRZ-TV reports:
'Truth is though, part of his anger should be directed at the guy in the mirror, because among the finalists he considered for the Bills top coaching spot three years ago are two of the current NFL coach of the year candidates, John Fox at Carolina and Marvin Lewis at Cincinnati.'

Not Much Left To Say [5:09 AM]WIVB-TV reports:
'We have no idea whether our team will score again. But we can promise that Peyton Manning and the Colts will score touchdowns this week, and it's very likely that the Jets and Miami will score some points in the other two home games. We know you are football fans, so keep supporting us, even though we may never score again.'

Colts at Bills [5:08 AM]Colts.com reports:
'The Colts have won four of the past five meetings. Prior to that, Buffalo had taken seven of the past eight contests.'

November 17, 2003

Sunday vs. Patriots [11:02 PM]ESPN reports:
Veteran Tony Banks will get his second start of the season Sunday against New England. Carr was injured late in the first quarter of Sunday's 12-10 victory at Buffalo when Bills linebacker Jeff Posey came free for a sack, driving Carr's throwing shoulder into the turf. Center Todd Washington prevented a touchdown by sweeping the ball out of bounds for a safety after Carr fumbled.

Williams accepts responsibility for Bills' woes [8:27 PM]AP reports:
'Buffalo has gone 190 minutes and 24 seconds of game time since last reaching the end zone on Travis Henry's 14-yard run in the fourth quarter of a 24-7 win over Washington on Oct. 19.'